The day Big Noise found out about their #JEllieJoy donation in December 2022 was the day of their Big Noise Winter Concert.
More than 750 children and young people from the Torry community in Aberdeen learn about music immersively together – and free of charge – with the Big Noise project by Sistema. There are also Big Noise holiday and after school clubs where children play instruments, sing and play musical games.
Linda Allan, fundraising officer at Sistema Scotland says, “Big Noise Torry was extremely grateful to receive the advent donation of £1,000 from the JEllie Foundation.
“We decided to use the award to contribute to the cost of a residential trip during the Easter holidays to Dalguise Activity Centre in Perthshire for a group of 40 Big Noise Torry participants.
“We have planned a three day and two night residential trip to Dalguise in Perthshire during the Easter holidays from 3 – 5 April for participants ranging between P7 and S3. Mainly aimed at our high school string and percussion players we are also inviting the young people in P7 who will move up to high school in August 2023, helping prepare them for their transition to the Big Noise high school group.
“Eight staff will also be attending ensuring that staff to participant ratios are adequate and there will be no charge to participants for the trip.
“Participants will have musical sessions with Big Noise staff each day, as well as a range of other outdoor adventure activities and games in the afternoon and evenings led by Dalguise group leaders.
“Feedback from previous trips shows us that residentials are memorable and formative experiences for the young people taking part in Big Noise, offering opportunities to develop independence away from home and discover new places that they would not otherwise have the opportunity to visit. The trip to Dalguise will help develop positive relationships between participants and Big Noise staff, improve young people’s confidence and a sense of team and belonging as part of the Big Noise high school group, offer some new experiences and opportunities to our participants as well as developing their instrumental and ensemble skills within a musical setting.
“One of our participants said of Big Noise trips;
‘..being on so many different trips has impacted me in many different ways. I would say my upbringing has been even better because Big Noise has helped me and gave me something to do. I now have many things to put on my CV because of Big Noise. I would say I have gained lots of skills while being a part of Big Noise.’
Another young participant from Big Noise Raploch recently referred to her first experience of a Big Noise residential trip to the Isle of Arran five years ago as one of her fondest Big Noise memories saying:
“I was really small, I was nervous and I was scared to be away from home and it was a new place with new people. But we played our big concert at the end and we got a massive standing ovation and I really loved it and it pushed me to show that I love music and Big Noise is the thing I want to keep.”
